Morocco sees 10.4 pct increase in tourist arrivals in Jan-Aug

A total of 8 million tourists visited Morocco between January and August 2017, up 10.4 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, according to Tourism Ministry.

International tourist arrivals jumped 13.1 percent, while Moroccans living abroad visiting their homeland rose 8.1 percent, the Ministry said in its latest statistics for the January-August 2017 period.

Arrivals from the traditional European emitting markets showed an increase by 14 percent in German tourists, 10 percent in Dutch and Spanish visitors and 8 percent in French and Belgian tourists, the ministry noted.

As for emerging emitting markets for Morocco, the statistics shows a 315 percent increase in Chinese tourists, while the number of visitors from Japan, South Korea, U.S. and Brazil posted a growth rate of 43 percent, 41 percent, 32 percent and 52 percent, respectively.

Morocco's main tourist destinations, Marrakesh and Agadir attracted 60 percent of overall tourists visiting the North African kingdom, up by 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

By August 2017, tourism revenues reached nearly 4.94 billion U.S. dollars, 5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the ministry said.

A total of 10.3 million tourists visited Morocco in 2016, up 1.5 percent from 2015. Morocco expects tourist arrivals to grow 6 percent in 2017.